So well said, @indigoocean. I love your writing and felt as if I were with you and your experience on Memorial Day connecting with the woman who sold you the pie and seeing, feeling the connection with her as you departed. You really captured the moment in words beautifully. I guess it's also because I seem to be in a hype empathetic mood these recent days.
Memorial Day was especially special for me too, as I've had several veteran best friends pass away recently, as well as the wife of another vet who is the mom to a close friend. So your words really resonate:
"And I think this is how we truly memorialize the dead. We bring them into our lives. We love each other with the power of their love. We let them guide us as expressions of the love they now can fully be, so that we don’t have to wait to die before we can be it too."
I agree 100%. In fact the closer of the friends, even though he was a good bit older, has inspired preliminary research into doing a two-folded ICO with some others in honor of him as one of the purposes. I really want to do a serious vision quest ritual about it all first to seek wisdom and guidance before really deciding.
I love the idea of doing a vision quest ritual to clarify the intention there. That will make it easier to involve him in the planning and evoke his blessings for the project. Good luck whatever you decide.
Thank you, my friend. It really resonates with my heart that way too and especially the way you clarify in your words reflected back to me too. Thank you again.